Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre

The Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater (Turkish: Cemil Topuzlu Harbiye Açık Hava Tiyatrosu, also called simply Açık Hava Tiyatrosu) is a contemporary amphitheater located in the Harbiye neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated across from the Lütfi Kırdar Congress Center and Exhibition Hall, and behind the Istanbul Hilton Hotel on the European side of the city.

As the city’s most popular summertime venue, the theater primarily hosts music concerts in various genres of local and international performers. It also hosts cultural activities for several festivals held in Istanbul in the summer.

For a summer’s night out to remember, head to the Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater, a modern take on an ancient style amphitheater. This stunning venue with tiered seating hosts a wide variety of musical and cultural performances during the warmer months. The Cemil Topuzlu Theater is the only open air theater in Istanbul.

Its construction was begun in 1946 and completed in 1947. Named after Cemil Topuzlu Pasha (1866-1958), the legendary mayor of İstanbul in the era of Ottoman Second Constitutional Monarchy, it is the biggest open-air theater in Istanbul with a 3,975 seat capacity. It holds 4,500 people in total in a style reminiscent of classical theaters. It has taken place in settlement plan prepared by urban expert M. Prost for İstanbul in 1930s. Theater’s plan has been made by Nihad Yücel and Nahid Uysal.

Its ground has been broken in July 1946 during Lütfü Kırdar was governor and major of İstanbul. For facing, color harmony was achieved by mixing sandstone and Uzunköprü stone. Pavement was made with Uzunköprü stone. Although the opening ceremony was made on 9th day of August 1947, it had its recent form, after making changes appropriate to Carl Ebert’s stage technique, who is one of the directors from Ankara State Conservatoire. All its imperfections could have been completed in 1950.

First performance at the open air theater was a tragedy named King Oidipus, by Sofokles, which was performed by Ankara State Theater artisans. In 1958, name of Cemil Topuzlu has been given to the theater, who was one of the former majors of Istanbul.

At the open air theater, seats for audiences or gradients rose up, in the form of semicircle stairways facing to a plane stage as well as at amphitheaters. There are 30 – person capacity honor lodge, 3,975 – seated audience place, 80 – person capacity orchestra place and in the center of gradens, a place for projection used when a movie or dia is presented. Stage is as wide as 200 or 300 walkovers can move freely on it. Entrances and gates were designed to allow a sudden evacuation.

There is parking available at the nearby Hilton Istanbul (capacity 500 vehicles), or the parking lot behind the Hilton Convention Center (capacity 150 vehicles). There is also a private parking lot under the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall.

As the most popular summer venue, the amphitheater hosts in first place music concerts in various genres of local and international performers. It houses also cultural activities of several festivals held in the summer time in Istanbul.

In its history the theatre has hosted world famous artists such as Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, Keith Jarrett, Iron Maiden, Björk, Massive Attack, Nick Cave, Tori Amos, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Marcus Miller, Chick Corea, Grace Jones, Bryan Ferry, Loreena McKennitt, Simply Red, Jane Birkin, Ornette Coleman, Stanley Clarke, Joshua Redman, Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega, Buena Vista Social Club, Deep Forest, PJ Harvey, Michael Bolton, Bryan Adams, Anathema, Jethro Tull, Pink Martini, Caetano Veloso, Herbie Hancock, Haris Alexiou, Goran Bregovic, The Blues Brothers Band, Deep Purple, Slayer, Sting and many more.